


can i catch a cat-nap with you

by earlgrey_milktea



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Canon Compliant, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 14:59:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16997181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgrey_milktea/pseuds/earlgrey_milktea
Summary: five times rin falls asleep on ryuuji, and one time bon falls asleep on rin.





	can i catch a cat-nap with you

**Author's Note:**

> when i first wrote down that summary in my docs i was like, _smh you're so predictable, bean_. tsk tsk. i'm a simple gal, you give me that sleepy cuddles tag, i gotta use it,
> 
> i definitely skimmed over canon details for this fic bc the canon timeline makes me really nervous.  
> *bon swears a bit  
> *third part contains some descriptions of injuries, nothing worse than canon  
> *also i will stand by cat-boy rin and i will not budge

**i.**

Despite his dyed hair and piercings and overall punk aesthetic ( _ Try-hard delinquent _ , Shima gleefully says every time before ducking out reach), Ryuuji is a diligent student. He has the highest marks in every class he was ever put into, his notes are neat and colour-coded, his attendance record spotless. It’s something he has pride in, being book-smart and excelling in his education.

But ever since one loud-mouthed, clueless, disrespectful brat transferred into the class, Ryuuji’s peaceful school life has crashed headfirst into a flaming ditch. 

He holds in his disgust at how such a trouble student could have made it into a school as prestigious as True Cross Academy because his mother taught him better manners than that. He can forgive a novice, because he was once one himself. But as the lessons go on and Rin continues to make a fool out of himself—and the whole class, and their teachers, while he’s at it—Ryuuji finds himself seething in his seat, dirty glare burning into the back of Rin’s head. Not that the guy notices. Not that Rin seems to care that with every disruption and goofing-off session, Ryuuji comes  _ this close _ to exploding.

Yet Okumura-sensei doesn’t berate him, and the other teachers have given up on lecturing him. Ryuuji has half a mind to confront Rin about it, but that would show that Rin got to him. That would mean that he cared. Which Ryuuji absolutely does not, not at all. So he grits his teeth and sits out these disruptions, determined to keep his stellar record despite it all.

But today, for some reason, Ryuuji finds his eyes straying towards the front of the class, where a head of messy dark curls is starting to dip lower and lower towards the stack of unopened textbooks on the desk. Shiemi is also distracted, shifting her attention between scribbling down notes and glancing worriedly at the dozing boy beside her. Rin doesn’t seem to notice. His head jerks whenever his chin hits the cover of the textbook, but it doesn’t seem to help.

“Dude,” Shima whispers from beside him. “I can hear ya angry-thinking from here.”

Ryuuji sends him a glare. He gestures to Rin, whose head has finally made permanent contact with the useless textbooks. Shima follows his gaze, and sighs.

“C’mon, man, just ignore ‘im. It’s his own grades that are suffering.”

“He’s bothering me,” Ryuuji grumbles.

Shima shakes his head and retreats back behind his textbook. Or rather, the dirty magazine he’s got hidden behind his textbook. But Shima is the type that studies on his own time, at his own pace, so Ryuuji doesn’t care about that.

Rin, though, Rin is another matter entirely.

The class ends with the teacher barely sparing an exasperated frown at the snoring boy in the front row. Everyone immediately gathers their things to leave, but Ryuuji stomps over to the front of the classroom. He slams his fists down on the table.

Rin startles awake, arms flailing and nearly sending all his books flying off to the ground. “What the heck, man?” he groans, rubbing at his eyes.

“Congrats,” Ryuuji says scathingly, “on sleeping through another class.”

Rin blinks at him. Then he glances around as if bewildered. “Aw, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Damn. Hey, can I borrow your notes?”

Ryuuji looks at him incredulously. “No.”

“Fine, then, stingy. Hey, Shiemi, can I borrow your—”

“No,” Ryuuji says, slamming his palm against the table again. “You don’t get to slack off and mooch off on your classmates.”

Rin frowns at him. “Look, I’m sorry for falling asleep, but it’s not your problem, okay? Why are you so offended?”

“You’re distracting!”

“How am I distracting? Are you watching me sleep?”

“Wha—Who the fuck would watch you sleep!”

“Sensei, Ryuuji said a bad word!”

“ _ You little _ —”

They both end up with detention for a week straight, chasing coal tars around the lesser used classrooms across the Academy. Ryuuji has no shortage of glares to shoot at Rin, who seems to pay him no mind at all. 

At least Rin doesn’t fall asleep for this. If Ryuuji has to suffer, Rin should suffer, too.

 

 

 

**ii.**

Rin’s eyes are drooping again. Ryuuji reaches over with his notebook and whacks him on the head.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“Don’t fall asleep while I’m tutoring you, dumbass.”

“I wasn’t falling asleep!”

“You were literally two seconds away from snoring.”

Rin rubs his head, scowling. “This stuff is boring.”

“The faster you get it over with, the faster you can read your manga or whatever it is you do in your free time.”

“I actually wanted to try a new fish recipe,” says Rin. He leans forwards excitedly, looking much more awake than he was five minutes ago. “Wanna try it with me?”

Ryuuji smacks him with the notebook again. “Math first, loser. Don’t think about cooking until you’re at least finished with this week’s homework.” He pauses. “Thought you said I wasn’t allowed in the kitchen, anyway.”

“You could be my taste-tester.” Rin picks up the pencil. “Can you go over this again?”

“I just went over it,” Ryuuji sighs. He explains it again, pointing at the examples and watching until Rin works out a question on his own. The guy’s not stupid, no matter what everyone else or himself believes. He just needs the right motivation. And extra patience. And extra pushes to focus. So Rin’s not stupid—just a little high maintenance.

Ryuuji puts down his notebook and climbs to his feet. “I’m going to get some more water. You sit here and finish that.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Rin doesn’t bother looking up, just waves a hand in the air.

When Ryuuji comes back, Rin is passed out on the table, pencil still in his hand. His cat is curled up in his lap, his tail shifting lazily next to his hip. He’s still wearing that plastic hair clip Ryuuji gave him, which feels so long ago, his bangs pulled up away from his face and revealing such a relaxed, vulnerable expression, Ryuuji almost feels like he’s intruding. Rin looks younger, asleep. His eyes are half-open like it always is when he’s unconscious, but the usual brightness is missing. It’s almost strange, seeing his face so still, because the Rin he knows is someone whose expressions change at the speed of light, animated and captivating and so very alive.

Sighing, Ryuuji sits back down across the table. He tugs the worksheet out, grimacing at the tiny puddle of drool staining one corner. All of the questions are filled out; he’d even attempted the short answer ones. Ryuuji looks back up at the snoring boy before him.

He’ll wake him, Ryuuji decides, after he finishes checking over the answers.

 

 

 

**iii.**

The demon was only mid-level, but they were all stressed out from midterms and Kirigakure-sensei was content to sit on the roof of the van they rented and drink herself silly rather than do her job, which is to mentor them and make sure they don’t get killed. Ryuuji has enough confidence in his and his classmates’ abilities that he’s sure they won’t die, but this was cutting it a bit close.

It ends, as with most of their battles, with Rin’s blue flames lighting up the night. The almost-reflexive flinch ingrained in Ryuuji at the sight of those devil-flames is still something he has to actively suppress, but Ryuuji’s better at keeping up his poker face these days. And if he’s being honest with himself, that brilliant shade of blue has become almost-familiar, almost-reassuring, most definitely breathtaking. Rin lights up the night, a glowing beacon that anchors them in the dark.

Ryuuji might still be afraid of Satan’s flames, but he sure as hell ain’t afraid of Rin.

“Is it over?” Shima asks, peering out from behind the tree he’d been hiding behind. 

“I can’t believe we got out of that alive,” Izumo says. 

“Let’s never do that again,” Konekomaru agrees.

Shiemi is still collapsed on the ground, but she’s conscious enough to ask if anyone was hurt. Ryuuji climbs to his feet and stumbles to where Rin is sheathing the Kurikara. His blazer is ripped and singed, but he still turns around with a grin as bright as his flames.

“Did ya see that?” he says when he spots Ryuuji making his way over. “I didn’t lose control!”

“Yeah,” Ryuuji says. “Good job, dumbass.”

Rin laughs. He doesn’t even react to being called dumbass. As Ryuuji steps closer, he notices the gash on his forehead, the unfocused look in Rin’s eyes, the way he sways on his feet. 

“I should record that,” Rin is saying, “Bon just praised me!”

Ryuuji doesn’t get to reply, too busy lunging forwards to catch Rin before he falls flat on his face. He lowers the both of them to the ground.

“Oi,” he says. He taps Rin’s cheek until those blue eyes drift up to his face again. They’re still unfocused and hazy. “Oi. Stay awake. Why aren’t you healing?”

“Huh,” Rin replies, almost coherently. “Hurts. Wanna sleep.”

“Where? Where does it hurt, Okumura, don’t you dare pass out.”

Rin flops his arm in the general direction of his stomach. Ryuuji backs away enough to inspect the other boy’s torso, and then he’s clenching his teeth tight to keep himself from swearing, or throwing up, or something worse. The black of their uniform had masked the dark blood seeping through the material. He hadn’t managed to dodge the demon’s claws as well as Ryuuji thought. Carefully so as not to jostle Rin too much, Ryuuji peels away the blood-soaked shirt. He sucks in a sharp breath as the sight. It’s not bleeding anymore, but the wound isn’t closing up, either. There must be internal damage that Rin’s demonic healing abilities are busy dealing with. 

“Bon?” Rin slurs. His gaze drifts, almost lazily.

“I’m here,” Ryuuji says. “Hey, don’t fall asleep on me. You hear?”

“‘M tired.”

A slow wave of panic washes over Ryuuji as he watches Rin’s eyes slip to half-mast. He’s out.  

Footsteps skid to a stop next to them. “Dammit, Rin,” Kirigakure-sensei curses. “What did I say about going overboard?” She reseals her sword and glances at Ryuuji. “Hey, you injured?”

“No, ma’am—”

“Good. You’re in charge of getting this dumbass back to the truck. He needs a medic,  _ now _ . I’ve got the other kids, so go. Go!”

Ryuuji scrambles to his feet. The adrenaline rush is starting to fade, but looking at Rin’s face, all pale and slack and devoid of his usual cheer—it’s  _ wrong _ , it’s not Rin at all—Ryuuji lifts the other boy up with a grunt. Rin groans in pain. 

“Sorry,” Ryuuji says. “Hang on, okay? You’re going to be okay.”

He doesn’t receive a response. Gritting his teeth, Ryuuji tightens his grip on his friend, and trudges forwards.

 

 

**iv.**

For such a small group, the Exwires can make a ridiculous amount of noise.

Ryuuji crosses his arms and shifts in his seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. He can see Okumura-sensei attempting to find inner peace—a futile attempt because Shima is picking a fight with Kamiki again and poor Shiemi is caught in the middle of it. Konekomaru is smart enough to pretend to be reading in his window seat, while Kirigakure-sensei is already snoring away in the back as if she isn’t stuck on a bus with a bunch of idiots. 

Ryuuji desperately wants to knock himself out to escape the noise but he was never the type to be able to doze off to the swaying of a vehicle. It doesn’t help that he can feel a migraine coming on, or that he conveniently forgot to pack his headphones for this field trip-slash-mission.

Or the fact that somehow, he ended up sitting next to Okumura Rin.

Said boy is currently slouched so far down his seat that Ryuuji winces at the backache he’s going to be feeling later. He’s fiddling away with a worn handheld console, the string of his hoodie in between his lips as he frowns in concentration. His hair is a mess, as usual, but the bags under his eyes look almost like bruises. He looks exhausted. Which is weird because what would the guy be up that made him so tired? Not studying, that’s for sure.

Rin notices him staring and sits up a little. He glares half-heartedly at Ryuuji. “What? I’m not bothering you.”

“I never said you were,” Ryuuji scoffs.

“Then why are you staring?”

“‘M not starin’.”

“Yeah, you were.” Rin narrows his eyes at him. And then his expression clears, and Ryuuji knows he’s going to say something stupid before he opens his mouth. “Do you wanna play?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

Ryuuji leans back against his seat and closes his eyes. He hears Rin go back to his game, shuffling around. Their classmates are still chattering away, while the rumbling of the bus creates a steady lull. His head is starting to pound in rhythm. Rin shifts again, this time his elbow knocking into Ryuuji’s ribs. He doesn’t seem to notice. His fingers are clenched around his game so tightly, Ryuuji’s amazed it hasn’t broken in half yet.

“Oi,” he says, elbowing the other boy back. “Stop movin’ around.”

Rin huffs. “I can’t get comfortable.” He tugs at his hoodie, pulling his legs up and nearly falling out of the seat. 

Squinting at him, Ryuuji asks, “Is it your tail?”

Rin freezes. Ryuuji’s never met a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve more than this idiot. How did he ever manage to keep his demon heritage a secret?

“Just let it loose, man,” Ryuuji says. “No one cares. You’re being annoying shifting around like that.”

“Y-You sure? You’re not—freaked out?”

“No. Why would I be?”

“Because? It’s—I—demon?”

Ryuuji scowls. “Yeah, well, Kurikara is sealed and you’re not about to strangle me with your tail, are ya?” When Rin hurriedly shakes his head no, Ryuuji knocks a fist into his shoulder lightly. “So don’t worry about it. Get comfy or whatever, you look like you haven’t slept in a week.”

Rin lets out a nervous laugh. He averts his gaze, focusing on pulling up his hoodie enough to unravel his tail. He looks a bit like a ruffled cat. A sleepy, ruffled cat. Ryuuji turns away before his thoughts veer further in that direction.

He has his eyes closed and is halfway through reciting one of the newer verses they were learning in class when a weight drops onto his shoulder. Ryuuji opens his eyes enough to squint. It’s Rin, hood up and slumped against Ryuuji. His tail is twitching slightly in his lap. 

“Oi,” Ryuuji says.

His only response is a tiny snore.

“You’re fucking kidding me.”

Rin doesn’t stir. He must have been really exhausted. Ryuuji stares down at the other boy’s head, where his stupid messy hair peeks out from the hood. He sighs. Careful not to jostle the sleeping boy, Ryuuji lifts his free hand and pats Rin’s head gently.

A small rumble makes him pause. At first, he thinks it’s the bus, but then he listens closer. It’s soft, almost gentle. Something about the noise lulls him halfway to sleep, too, quieting his headache.

Then he realizes.

Rin is  _ purring _ .

The boy snores away, unaware, passed out against Ryuuji’s shoulder without a care to the world. His tail has gone still now. One of his hands is bunched up on Ryuuji’s sleeve, and the purring sound continues. It’s too quiet for anyone else to hear. Ryuuji huffs, unable to stop a smile.

With the soothing sound of purring vibrating against his arm, Ryuuji leans his head against Rin’s, and follows him to sleep.

 

 

 

**v.**

They end up going with Shiemi’s movie suggestion because no one wanted to fight her and Yukio was about to pop a vein trying to reign them in. Ryuuji still thinks the guy is going to have a heart attack from all this stress one day. 

Rin wiggles next to him. By now, Ryuuji has stopped being surprised at ending up next to the half-demon. Besides, it’s cold in the old dormitory and Rin is practically his own space heater, so Ryuuji’s not complaining.

Well. If he wiggles  _ again _ , Ryuuji will complain.

“Stop it,” he hisses when Rin elbows him in the gut for the nth time. “What is with you and not being able to sit still?”

“Sorry,” Rin whispers back. “Just trying to get comfy.”

The movie starts, Konekomaru shushing everyone while Shiemi helpfully passes around the snack bowl. Ryuuji shuffles back against the couch. Rin is squished between him and Yukio, knees tucked up against his chest while his tail shifts against the cushions, tickling Ryuuji where it brushes against his arm. Shiemi picked a documentary about nature. Ryuuji likes documentaries, usually, because they’re informative and some of them are really beautifully shot, but today, he finds himself distracted by the boy beside him. 

Rin’s watching with wide eyes, the screen reflecting off his eyes almost eerily. He looks fascinated with all the trees and animals on screen even though he falls asleep in biology all the time. Ryuuji would know, he’s been trying to tutor him for too long now. There are crumbs around his mouth from the crackers he had earlier. It’s disgusting—what is he, five? Yet instead of wanting to smack him, Ryuuji kind of wants to pull him closer to—to wipe the crumbs off his face, obviously.

Suddenly annoyed for some reason, Ryuuji turns away from the boy next to him and back to the tv. Izumo and Shima are squabbling again, but quiet so as not to disturb Shiemi sitting beside them. He tries to focus, and almost makes it.

Halfway through the movie, Rin falls asleep.

Specifically, Rin falls asleep on Ryuuji.

Ryuuji frowns down at Rin’s sleeping face. His mouth is open, ready to start drooling any second now. His eyes are at half-mast, which means he’s conked out good. The way his head is flopped over can’t be comfortable for his neck. Sighing, Ryuuji turns slightly and maneuvers the guy until he’s practically sitting in his lap. Rin’s head fits in the crook of his neck, and he’s radiating heat through his hoodie. Something brushes against his waist, and Ryuuji jerks before realizing it’s Rin’s tail. 

“Mm, meat buns,” Rin mumbles, startling Ryuuji. He tucks his face into Ryuuji’s sweater, fingers hooked into the worn fabric as he curls into Ryuuji’s chest. 

“Pretty sure you’re half-cat,” Ryuuji says. He’s glad for the darkness and the movie keeping everyone else distracted. Leaning back, Ryuuji wraps his arms around Rin and settles in.

It won’t be long before the purring starts, which will inevitably draw the attention of their friends. Rin can sleep through anything, but Ryuuji can already imagine Izumo’s sharp eyes taking in their close proximity, Shima’s relentless teasing and pics for blackmail, Konekomaru and Shiemi’s blushing for some reason as if they want to pet Rin like a cat. And Yukio—

Ryuuji makes the mistake of glancing over and locking eyes with Yukio. He freezes, unsure what to make of the carefully blank expression on the other boy’s face. Just as Ryuuji is about to release Rin and make a break for it, Yukio tilts his head. A smile flashes across his face before he turns back to the tv, his glasses hiding his expression once more.

_ What the heck does that mean? _

Rin snorts, his breath huffing over Ryuuji’s neck. He really is warm. Ryuuji sighs. He rests his chin over Rin’s head, and decides to worry about everything else later.

Might as well enjoy the quiet while it lasts.

 

 

 

 

**et i.**

Rin wakes up slowly.

His dream was pleasant, for once; the blue tinge that has haunted his dreams since That Night was missing, his brother was there, his friends were there, and they were eating his food, and they were laughing. There were no demons bursting from the walls or from his skin. Everything was warm, everything was good. 

Waking up is good, too.

He blinks, awareness coming back into his eyes. He sees the bottom of the top bunk above his bed, a familiar sight. The bedroom is silent. Yukio’s out again—the only movement in the dorm is Ukobach in the kitchens and some lesser demons scuttling about in the basement. Kuro is napping somewhere on the roof above their room.

Rin tilts his head and watches dust drift through the ray of sunlight streaming in through the window. He’s hovering in that blissful state of wakefulness and falling back asleep. 

A yawn interrupts his aimless musing about nothing in particular. He goes to stretch, but something is trapping his arm against the mattress. Slowly, Rin turns back towards the bed. He blinks.

Bon is sprawled across his bed, half on top of him, legs tangled up with Rin’s own and face inches away from Rin’s. His hair is loose and soft over his face. His brow is scrunched up even in sleep. But he looks different, not soft, but less harsh. Safe.

A gentle kind of heat uncoils from Rin’s belly and spreads throughout his body, all the way down to his toes and fingertips, to the end of his tail, which he’s just now realizing is curled around Bon’s wrist.

Still a little too sleepy to do more than stare, Rin slowly tugs a hand free from under Bon’s arm. He presses his thumb between Bon’s eyebrows, trying to ease the unconscious frown.

Grunting, Bon blinks awake. Rin doesn’t move away. There’s something fascinating about watching someone wake up: the vulnerability they’re not aware enough to hide, the softness of their expression, the lingering traces of a dream in their eyes. Bon’s not all the way awake. Rin knows because Bon doesn’t move away, either.

“Hey,” he says, voice a low gravelly grumble. 

“Hi,” Rin whispers back.

“Why you watchin’ me sleep like a creeper.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Not.”

“Blah.”

Bon yawns right in his face. Rin squints against the blast of morning breath. Then Bon shifts closer, face pressed against Rin’s comforter, right above his chest. 

“Bon?”

“Hmmf,” Bon replies. “Lemme sleep a bit more. Ya kept me awake with your nightmares last night.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

Bon huffs. He taps Rin’s side twice. “Be a good pillow and we’ll call it even.”

Rin stares up at the marked up wood above him. He listens to the birdsong outside the window, counts the spaces between Bon’s steady breathing. He thinks about possible dishes for breakfast. He thinks about how Shiemi wouldn’t mind a visit in her garden today, or how Izumo and the others are just a text away. He thinks about the neatly handwritten note his brother probably left on his desk before he left this morning. How he doesn’t remember pulling out an extra comforter last night, but it’s now draped over Bon’s broad back. He savours the comfortable warmth pressing him into the bed.

Bon’s snores are already filling the quiet of the morning by the time Rin closes his eyes, a smile on his lips.

“Good morning, Bon.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> it's canon that rin sleeps with his eyes open and i've been laughing at that fact 5ever. imagine little yukio waking up to go to the bathroom and finding a pair of eyes staring at him from across the room. how loudly did he scream
> 
> hit me up @puddingcatbae on tumblr/twitter to talk about our favourite half-demon boyo!!!!!


End file.
